(ThyBlackMan.com)
Dear Daddy,
I’m sorry I did not do what you told me to do.
If I do better
Can I still be your little boy?
Dear Son,
You will be
My little boy
For all of your little-boy days.
And when
You are no longer a little boy
I will still be your daddy.
-Excerpt from the poem, “Promises” by David A. Anderson
Father’s Day 2020 carries as much significance than ever because of the historic times that we find ourselves in. Black fathers can feel the importance of the love of their children as life has shown that black life is precious and valuable regardless of what American society says. One of the most touching stories from last year’s NFL Draft was the story of former Alabama running back Josh Jacobs, who emerged as a first round pick of the Raiders in the 2019 NFL Draft. Jacobs and his family battled homelessness on multiple occasions an he and his four
siblings sometimes lived out of a car with their dad, Marty, on the north side of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Marty raised his kids as a single father after separating from their mother. In early January 2020, Josh Jacobs rewarded his father by surprising him by purchasing a house for him.
The 2020 NFL Draft seems like a lifetime ago even though it took place in mid-April of 2020. Interestingly, there were several players selected that had black fathers who played in the NFL several years or even decades ago. Those selected do not even include former LSU tight end Thaddeus Moss, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss. Here are some of the notable sons selected during the 2020 NFL Draft along with information on their NFL fathers:
-WR-Jalen Reagor (1st round pick of Philadelphia Eagles)-One of the fascinating dynamics of the legacies of NFL fathers during the 2020 NFL Draft was that the majority of the sons play wide receiver. Jalen Reagor’s dad, Montae Reagor, played as a defensive lineman for nine seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts. Montae weighed in at 285 pounds when he played while his son Jalen weighs quite a bit less at 206 pounds, which is perhaps the biggest father-son weight discrepancy among the NFL Draft’s father-son combos this year. In some fascinating irony, Montae’s NFL career ended as a Philadelphia Eagle while his son’s NFL career will start as a Philadelphia Eagle.
-WR-Michael Pittman Jr. (2nd round pick of Indianapolis Colts)-It would be impossible for Michael Pittman Jr. to hide from the name of his former NFL running back dad, Michael Pittman. The elder Pittman might be best known for being the starting running back on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl winning team but his son played at a more high profile college as Junior went to USC instead of his dad’s alma mater, Fresno State.
-CB-Darnay Holmes (4th round pick of New York Giants)-Darnay Holmes will make his living in the NFL on defense unlike his father, Darick, who played five seasons in the NFL as a running back. Unfortunately following Darick’s NFL career, he got into some trouble and ended up being shot seven times in a botched drug deal. He survived but his son Darnay, at 12 years old, walked into a hospital room to see his father in a hospital bed due to that situation. Darnay Holmes used that moment as drive to become a NFL draft pick.
-WR-Van Jefferson (2nd round pick of the Los Angeles Rams)–Van Jefferson follows in his dad, Shawn’s, footsteps into the NFL as a wide receiver. Shawn Jefferson played an impressive 13 years in the NFL and now is an assistant coach for the New York Jets. In a fun twist to the 2020 NFL season if there is one, Shawn will coach against his son when the Jets play at the Rams in Week 15.
Staff Writer; Mark Hines
